Serj Tankian on a New System of a Down Album: ‘It’s Not Something I Can Do Right Now’

A few weeks ago, bassist Shavo Odadjian spoke out candidly on his Facebook page about his System of a Down bandmate Serj Tankian. His sentiments seemed to take aim at Tankian’s multiple solo projects and his belief that they hold back the band. In a new interview, Tankian discusses his thoughts on the current status of System of a Down and where things are headed in the future.

The bottom line is, It doesn’t appear that a new System of a Down album is coming any time soon, as Tankian explained to Artist Direct, “A new record requires three years. It's not something I can do right now. When I can commit to a three-year album cycle, I'll be down to do it.” He also talked about the creative process, saying, “I can't write a forced record. It's like romancing someone at a time you don't want to be romantic. It's not even a choice.”

Without referring to anyone directly, Tankian also said, “You can't do it on anyone else's timeframe.” He continued, with a laugh, saying, “You can't take orders. We're not making pizza.”

At the end of the day, Tankian seemingly had nothing but love and respect for his bandmates, sharing, “First and foremost, they're my partners and friends I've created this music and career with over these years.” He continued, saying “I'm still very thankful. To me, it's what I've done. It's where I've come in. It's something I enjoy doing.”

So while it could be a while before a new System of a Down album gets under way, it appears there are no hard feelings in the SOAD camp and the new music will be forthcoming as soon as the proper stars align.